a.15 Continuous residence in an unlawful status since prior to January 1, 1982, through May 4, 1988.
8 C.F.R. § 245a.15
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) General. The Service will determine whether an alien entered the United States before January 1, 1982, and resided in continuous unlawful status since such date through May 4, 1988, based on the evidence provided by the alien. An alien must provide with the application for LIFE Legalization evidence establishing that he or she entered the United States before January 1, 1982, and resided in continuous unlawful status since that date through May 4, 1988.
(b) Evidence. (1) A list of evidence that may establish an alien's continuous residence in the United States can be found at § 245a.2(d)(3).
(2) The following evidence may establish an alien's unlawful status in the United States:
(i) Form I-94 (see § 1.4), Arrival-Departure Record;
(ii) Form I-20A-B, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status—For Academic and Language Students;
(iii) Form IAP-66, Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status;
(iv) A passport; or
(v) Nonimmigrant visa(s) issued to the alien.
(c) Continuous residence. An alien shall be regarded as having resided continuously in the United States if:
(1) No single absence from the United States has exceeded forty-five (45) days, and the aggregate of all absences has not exceeded one hundred and eighty (180) days between January 1, 1982, and May 4, 1988, unless the alien can establish that due to emergent reasons, his or her return to the United States could not be accomplished within the time period allowed;
(2) The alien was maintaining residence in the United States; and
(3) The alien's departure from the United States was not based on an order of deportation.
(d) Unlawful status. The following categories of aliens, who are otherwise eligible to adjust to LPR status pursuant to LIFE Legalization, may file for adjustment of status provided they resided continuously in the United States in an unlawful status since prior to January 1, 1982, through May 4, 1988:
(1) An eligible alien who entered the United States without inspection prior to January 1, 1982.
(2) Nonimmigrants. An eligible alien who entered the United States as a nonimmigrant before January 1, 1982, whose authorized period of admission as a nonimmigrant expired before January 1, 1982, through the passage of time, or whose unlawful status was known to the Government before January 1, 1982. Known to the Government means documentation existing in one or more Federal Government agencies' files such that when such document is taken as a whole, it warrants a finding that the alien's status in the United States was unlawful. Any absence of mandatory annual and/or quarterly registration reports from Federal Government files does not warrant a finding that the alien's unlawful status was known to the Government.
(i) A or G nonimmigrants. An eligible alien who entered the United States for duration of status (D/S) in one of the following nonimmigrant classes, A-1, A-2, G-1, G-2, G-3 or G-4, whose qualifying employment terminated or who ceased to be recognized by the Department of State as being entitled to such classification prior to January 1, 1982. A dependent family member may be considered a member of this class if the dependent family member was also in A or G status when the principal A or G alien's status terminated or ceased to be recognized by the Department of State.
(ii) F nonimmigrants. An eligible alien who entered the United States for D/S in one of the following nonimmigrant classes, F-1 or F-2, who completed a full course of study, including practical training, and whose time period, if any, to depart the United States after completion of study expired prior to January 1, 1982. A dependent F-2 alien otherwise eligible who was admitted into the United States with a specific time period, as opposed to duration of status, documented on Form I-94, Arrival-Departure Record, that extended beyond January 1, 1982, is considered eligible if the principal F-1 alien is found eligible.
(iii) Nonimmigrant exchange visitors. An eligible alien who was at any time a nonimmigrant exchange alien (as defined in section 101(a)(15)(J) of the Act), who entered the United States before January 1, 1982, and who:
(A) Was not subject to the 2-year foreign residence requirement of section 212(e) of the Act; or
(B) Has fulfilled the 2-year foreign residence requirement of section 212(e) of the Act; or
(C) Has received a waiver for the 2-year foreign residence requirement of section 212(e) of the Act.
(3) Asylum applicants. An eligible alien who filed an asylum application prior to January 1, 1982, and whose application was subsequently denied or whose application was not decided by May 4, 1988.
(4) Aliens considered to be in unlawful status. Aliens who were present in the United States in one of the following categories were considered to be in unlawful status:
(i) An eligible alien who was granted voluntary departure, voluntary return, extended voluntary departure, or placed in deferred action category by the Service prior to January 1, 1982.
(ii) An eligible alien who is a Cuban or Haitian entrant (as described in paragraph (1) or (2)(A) of section 501(e) of Public Law 96-422 and at § 212.5(g) of this chapter), who entered the United States before January 1, 1982. Pursuant to section 1104(c)(2)(B)(iv) of the LIFE Act, such alien is considered to be in an unlawful status in the United States.
(iii) An eligible alien who was paroled into the United States prior to January 1, 1982, and whose parole status terminated prior to January 1, 1982.
(iv) An eligible alien who entered the United States before January 1, 1982, and whose entries to the United States subsequent to January 1, 1982, were not documented on Form I-94.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-8.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026